Oceana

🎉 VICTORY: Canada has permanently protected underwater mountains, known as seamounts, off the coast of British Colombia! The new marine protected area covers over 133,00 square kilometers and is a significant step toward preserving marine biodiversity. “Oceana Canada has been advocating for the protection of these vital underwater ecosystems since 2018,” said Dr. Robert Rangeley, Oceana Canada’s Science Director. “This new designation represents a significant milestone in our efforts to protect marine biodiversity and enhance the abundance of life in the oceans.” Read more: https://oceana.ly/3VYwMDL

📢 Kim Elmslie, Campaign Director with Oceana Canada, highlights the urgent need for Fisheries and Oceans Canada to release its Whale Safe Gear Strategy. In March 2023, the federal government committed to this strategy, yet we are still waiting for its full release. Kim notes, “It’d be an outline of how they’d transition fisheries to ropeless gear. It gives everybody certainty of what it would look like. Gear manufacturers would know there would be an increase in demands.” We urge them to take swift action and release the strategy to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whales. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eTgaE5yU

Today is the first day of #PlasticFreeJuly! Today, plastics are everywhere, from the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountain peaks. But together, we can fight this plastic crisis and create a healthier, cleaner future for our planet. See how you can get involved today: https://oceana.ly/3LdNeuF

New Oceana analysis released this week shows nearly 3,000 fishing vessels spent months – and sometimes years – at sea without coming to port last year. These long voyages can be a risk indicator of illegal fishing activity or forced labor. “Extensive time at sea keeps vessels away from scrutiny and increases the risk of illicit conduct on the high seas. We cannot have accountability at sea without transparency at sea.” – Oceana Campaign Director Dr. Max Valentine Learn more: https://oceana.ly/3KZ1CXQ

Thank you to Reps. Jared Huffman, Ed Case, Mary Peltola and James Moylan for introducing new legislation to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary law governing U.S. marine fisheries. This bill will improve habitat conservation, bycatch management & requirements to rebuild fish stocks - critical for a healthy, restored ocean! Read more: https://oceana.ly/4cB33Hu

BREAKING: On June 22, Fisheries and Oceans Canada reported that a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was seen in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The 18-month-old female calf of whale #1812 was spotted east of Miscou Island, New Brunswick, by a survey team from Canadian Whale Institute (CWI), Campobello Whale Rescue Team (CWRT), and Équipe de Désempêtrement du Golfe (EDG). Oceana Canada is calling on Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to urgently release their Whale Safe Gear Strategy as entanglements devastate critically endangered North Atlantic right whale populations. A tracking buoy has been attached to the whale and DFO and other partners will continue to monitor the situation to determine response options and, if weather and sea conditions allow, efforts will be made to attempt disentanglement. Kim Elmslie, Campaign Director at Oceana Canada, states: "Preventing the entanglement from happening in the first place is our only other recourse. Too many whales are being lost to entanglements in fishing gear and ship strikes. Ropeless gear is the way to prevent entanglements.” With only 356 North Atlantic right whales left, and about 70 breeding-age females, this species is on the brink of extinction. Immediate action is vital to their survival. Read the full statement here: https://bit.ly/4eCuG4Y

A WIN FOR WILDLIFE: Florida is banning the intentional release of balloons - balloons are one of the deadliest forms of plastic pollution for ocean wildlife. 🐬 We applaud the state for passing a new law to protect Florida's shorelines and ocean life. Balloons and their plastic ribbons, tie-off disks, clips, and other attachments can be easily ingested and swallowed by endangered sea turtles, seabirds, and other ocean wildlife. In fact, studies show balloons rank among the deadliest plastic for ocean animals. Florida's new law will help save ocean wildlife from these preventable deaths!

📣 GREAT NEWS: Last week, Amazon announced that they are cutting their plastic use in North America! Oceana's Matt Littlejohn calls this "welcome news for the oceans and the company’s customers." Learn more about this exciting ocean victory: https://oceana.ly/3VzPIsk

NOW HIRING: Campaigner and Policy Advisor: https://oceana.ly/3KQHzKS

🔥 Imagine if every time you put out a fire, you were required to start another one. That's the bizarre reality for clean energy in the U.S. today. Right now, the government can't move forward with clean wind unless it advances oil and gas drilling. We need to develop clean energy, like offshore wind, to help combat the worst impacts from climate change and #ProtectOurCoast. Speak up to protect our planet today: https://oceana.ly/3zfYioo